Imax screens will be filled with supersized Disney heroes and villains through 2019, as The Walt Disney Studios has renewed its movie release slate deal with the giant-screen exhibitor.
The latest multi-picture pact, announced Wednesday, will see live-action and animated tentpoles from Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm digitally blown up and playing on Imax screens. The biggest titles in the new deal include Pixar’s The Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4, the untitled Han Solo Star Wars film, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, with director Rian Johnson using proprietary Imax cameras to capture key scenes.
Also included in the slate deal are Marvel’s Black Panther, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Infinity War and the untitled Avengers sequel, along with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, A Wrinkle in Time and Mulan.
As part of the new agreement, Disney and Imax will jointly create exclusive Imax marketing materials. Disney last year took four of the top 10 Imax spots at the global box office with titles like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange and The Jungle Book.
“Disney is at the top of its game, offering fans around the world highly original and diverse movie-going entertainment, which aligns perfectly with the Imax experience as the most captivating and unique theatrical presentation,” Greg Foster, CEO of Imax Entertainment and senior executive vp Imax Corp., said in a statement.
Disney has routinely released movies on Imax screens since it teamed up with the Canada-based exhibitor in 2009. Imax is also getting into TV deals with Disney after ABC sent Marvel’s live-action series The Inhumans to bow in its giant screen theaters in early September.
